Florida Stays Alive In Ncaa Volleyball

Sports this morning - Friday briefing

December 13, 1996

Second-seeded Florida (36-1) overcame a major scare Thursday night in Gainesville, knocking out Ohio State (27-6) in the third round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in a five-game marathon, 15-8, 14-16, 13-15, 15-12 and 15-6. The Gators advanced to the Central Regional final against Michigan State tonight for a spot in the Final Four. The Spartans (26-6) upset seventh-seeded Long Beach State in Gainesville, 15-4, 13-15, 15-6 and 15-8. After losing two consecutive games, and trailing, 6-2, early in the fourth set, senior middle blocker Julie Stanhope took over. Stanhope recorded seven kills in the crucial fourth game. She finished with 14 kills and nine blocks. Junior middle blocker Nina Foster led Florida with 22 kills.

Holtz's offensive boss takes job at Baylor

Dave Roberts, offensive coordinator under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, was hired as Baylor's football coach. Roberts, who also was a candidate for jobs at Minnesota and Western Carolina, worked at Notre Dame for the past three years. He declined an offer to remain at the school after Holtz's recent resignation.

MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Tony Samuel, who for the past decade has helped shape Nebraska's powerful defense, was selected as head coach at New Mexico State. . . . Ohio State assistant Joe Hollis was hired as head coach at Arkansas State. . . . Eddie Robinson, 77, college football's winningest coach, met with Grambling President Raymond Hicks Thursday, and the two will meet again today. Hicks has proposed that Robinson leave coaching and become a vice president at the school. Meanwhile, the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees all state colleges, urged Grambling to let Robinson coach one more season. . . . Bill Stewart resigned as Virginia Military Institute's coach amid reports he used a racial slur. The Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted several unidentified sources as saying Stewart used a racial slur on one of the school's black players in a late-season practice. In three years at VMI, Stewart was 8-25. . . . San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Marc Trestman withdrew from consideration in the search for a new head coach at Minnesota, according to a televised report. Trestman had appeared to be the front-runner.

Seles' latest injury: Broken right ring finger

Monica Seles broke her right ring finger as she prepared to defend her Australian Open title in January. Seles was injured while warming up for an exhibition match in Czechoslovakia last week. It is the latest injury that has plagued her comeback since she returned from a 1993 stabbing that sidelined for her 27 months. It's too early to say if the injury will prevent her from playing in Australia, where she has never lost. She had recently recovered from a shoulder injury.

Jones and Fehr win Diners Club match

U.S. Open champion Steve Jones and Rick Fehr defeated Tom Lehman and Duffy Waldorf, 4 and 3, in the opening round of the Diners Club matches at La Quinta, Calif. The round-robin matches feature four teams each from the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours. Other PGA winners were Craig Stadler and John Cook, 1-up over Steve Stricker and Kirk Triplett; Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry, 1-up over Mark Calcavecchia and Billy Mayfair; and Justin Leonard and Mike Hulbert, 3 and 2 over PGA Champion Mark Brooks and Andrew Magee. In Senior PGA play, it was Bob Murphy and Jim Colbert, 4 and 3 over J.C. Snead and Gibby Gilbert; Hale Irwin and Dave Stockton, 3 and 1 over Jim Dent and Gary Player; and Tom Wargo and John Jacobs, 4 and 3 over Jimmy Powell and Larry Mowry. In LPGA play, it was Kelly Robbins and Tammie Green, 5 and 4 over Liselotte Neumann and Jane Geddes; Karrie Webb and Michelle McGann, 2 and 1 over Patty Sheehan and Nancy Lopez; Emilee Klein and Kris Tschetter, 2 and 1 over Laura Davies and Karen Lunn; and Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster, 3 and 1 over Annika Sorenstam and Catrin Nilsmark.

Gerg tops Seizinger in World Cup race

Hilde Gerg of Germany won a woman's women's World Cup Super-G race at Val d'Isere, France, edging teammate Katja Seizinger. Gerg had a time of 1 minute, 7.81 seconds. Seizinger, who won three races in three days at the site last February, was second at 1:08.20.

Closing arguments heard in McLain trial

The paper trail and secrecy surrounding the transfer of millions of dollars from a meatpacking company's pension fund show that former Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain and his partners knew the plan was illegal, a prosecutor in Detroit said. But McLain's lawyer said the government's star witness, Jeff Egan - a former partner who testified against his client - is a liar. McLain and associate Roger Smigiel are accused of skimming about $3 million from the Peet Packing Co. pension plan, using it for company debts and personal investments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Robinson told jurors in closing arguments to ignore arguments that the former financial adviser to the defendants thought up the scheme, and that they were unwitting participants. Egan struck a plea bargain in the case and testified against McLain and Smigiel.